Greetings DIYers

One of my doors has slammed shut and will not open. Unfortunately, I have never seen the key for this door since I moved in a year ago. The door has a small hole on the side which I think might be useful in order to open it in such scenarios. I attach a picture of the handle as well as one of the hole on the side.

Thank you all

Simba

 

Not a lot to work with. How about a bit more info.
Can you get to the other side? Can you remove the hinge pin?
Provide an overall pic showing compete door with frame.

 

That hole is to remove the knob. A steel shim can push the tongue back in a flash. If you don't have one of those, try a credit card. Can you get to the hinges?

 

I have removed the hinge pins, but the door will not budge outwards.

 

Hi. I have managed to get to the hinge and removed the hinge pins, but still no luck getting the door to come out....

 

You may have to remove the door trim to get access to the latch. Now that your on the inside of the door, using a credit card as Shorty... suggested should work. If the latch is stuck you might try sparying some silicon to help lubricate it.

 

You should be able to push the door now that the pins have been removed. If not, try a credit card between the tongue & striker plate. Put the card between the door & the frame under the tongue, lift upwards & twist.

 

Hi Norm.

I am not able to get to the other side. Please see attached a pic of the whole door.

 

Is the door locked? Because if the door slammed, the latch AND it's security pin (the half moon portion) are likely both in the stride plate hole. Pushing hard on the door might allow you to turn the knob and open it. Otherwise you might be able to take a coat hanger or thin wire, fish it around behind the latch, loop it back out, and use a pliers to pull toward yourself. You might just be able to get the latch to retract.

Taking hinge pins out does nothing. You can't get a door out that way.

 

You can't? Funny, I have. Then why pray tell are hinges always installed on the inside of the door? Perhaps to prevent unwanted or unforced entry.

 

Hinges are not always on the inside of a door... you've never heard of outswinging doors??? It's why they make security hinges and hinges with non-removable hinge pins.

The barrel of the hinge and the plate of the hinge will generally prevent them from passing each other when the door is closed. There is also usually an interlocking punch/hole on the hinge of most exterior doors that helps prevents the hinge from being separated. Like these security hinges.

Generally if you succeed in removing a door that way, you would mangle the hinges and probably would ruin the door jamb in the process. I'm assuming he doesn't want to bend or ruin anything. But it might work on a very loose fitting door.

 

Try to pry the door or the hinges with a long skinny screw driver.

 

Prying the door could damage it.
There is such a thing as security type hinges that has a pin on one half and a hole on the other half of the hinge that meshes when closed.
I have drilled holes in the side of the door and put screws into jamb that mesh with those holes to beef up security.
Like I said don't pry door..

 

Greg and X-sleeper. Correct you are. I was only referring to the typical household entry door. I stand corrected.

 

I'd try a stiff putty knife between the door and the striker plate, often you can walk the plunger back into the lockset.

 

I agree with Marksr's putty knife approach. They actually make specialized shove knives as forcible entry tools that do virtually the same thing.

If that doesn't work, when I had a door slam and stick shut, I used a small allen wrench to undo the screw that holds the knob on (in that small hole on the side). Once I removed the knob and the escutcheon, I was able to push the other side's knob and the pieces that run through the door out the other side. That left me with just the latch mechanism, and all the tension was off of the latch. I just used a pair of pliers to turn the latch from the inside then. Might be worth a shot.

 

Eh, here's how you jimmy a door open.

Get a thin flat screw driver or thin putty knife.
Insert the screwdriver into the slot between the striker plate and the door,
Keep the handle of the screwdriver as far to the left as you can.
Place the tip of the screwdriver as far to the right on the plunger as you can.
Push hard on the screwdriver to make contact with the plunger
Push the door back to release any tension on the plunger.
Pivot the handle of the screwdriver from left to right, to lever the plunger from right to left.
Now, pull the door back TOWARDS you, to hold the plunger in place.
Reset the screwdriver, then push the door back to release the tension on the plunger.

Repeat as above until the plunger is pushed back far enough for the door to open.

 

The security portion of the latch (the half-moon portion) has to be fully extended in order to drive the latch back on a keyed entry. If it is still depressed on the strike plate, the latch will not retract.

 

You should not be able to remove enough parts around the doorknob from the side of the door with the lock so as to disassemble the lock.

 

Hi, If all the above fails, drill it out. Start up using small bits and work your way up.
Good Luck Woodbutcher